An interview given to the 1+1 television channel by Peter Stano, spokesman for European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule, has been incorrectly translated, the spokesman said.

Stano said he had actually reiterated the position previously voiced by the EU that Brussels would discuss any issues related to an association agreement with Ukraine and, if necessary, a third party, a neighboring country, will be invited to this process on the basis of mutual agreement.

Stano made such a clarification to Interfax-Ukraine in Brussels late on Sunday after earlier reports in the media that the European Union was ready to discuss with Russia the association agreement with Ukraine.

"I said that a short interview for the 1+1 television channel was not translated correctly, and reports were made that 'the EU is ready to discuss issues of concern to Ukrainian neighbors in the format of bilateral negotiations' or that 'we are ready to discuss the Ukrainian issue with Russia on a bilateral basis,'" Stano said.

"In fact, I repeated our position, previously voiced by Catherine Ashton's spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic and Commissioner Fule, that if Ukraine has concern that the association agreement may have an impact on a third party, we are ready to discuss it with the Ukrainian side, and then, if necessary, to raise this issue with the third party, but only if these are very specific questions. Thus, these are not trilateral consultations."

Stano said that the issue does not concern any tripartite consultations.

Fule said earlier that decision on the question of the possibility of trilateral talks would be a decision for EU member states.

"The association agreement is a bilateral agreement between the EU and Ukraine," he said.

"We have said clearly many times in the past, we are doing it now, and we will do it in future: we are ready to resolve with our partner Ukraine any problems associated with the Association Agreement, meet and clarify any problems that Ukrainians may have. That's first. Second, if we jointly determine in these bilateral consultations that there is a problem or an area that will be important and useful in order to resolve some issues with neighbor Ukraine, we will be ready to do it on the basis of mutually agreement and mutual understanding."